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Digimon: Devil's Ascent (Discussion Thread)

NOTE: This is the sequel to storymasterb's "Digimon: Unholy Crusade" in which I was the (unofficial) Go-GM. This is made with his permission with him serving this time as official Go-GM.

Spoiler:- From the Signup Thread:

Spoiler:- Backstory:

=====Backstory=====
The Digital World was in dire straits; the world was at peace, but its people weren’t. Its people were crying, its soul was dying. The Digital World had come together time and time again in response to overwhelming threats from terrible and deadly enemies. But with the defeat of the Seven Great Demon Lords and sealing of the Seven Deadly Sins, the world was in a state of peace and bliss; it could never again be threatened by the forces of darkness...But without a unifying cause, the spirit of the world fell into a state of decay and apathy.

Then came a sudden massive influx of humans. Tamers arrived in the Digital World by the dozens, and this change seemed to reenergize the Digimon. The world was no longer the same; it shifted, grew, and changed; and the Digimon with it. The Tamers brought a uniqueness with them. They and their Digimon partners explored the vastness of the Digital World, becoming closer and stronger. The bonds between Tamers and their Digimon became legendary, and the Tamers' unending curiosity sparked a revival of the Digimon legends. Together, humans and Digimon ventured into long-abandoned parts of the world. They discovered ancient and sacred artifacts and texts. Legends were made real, and the Digital World seemed to be entering a golden age.

However, not all were happy with the involvement of the humans.

With no great threats, the Digital World's ever-present protectors, the Exalted Order of the Royal Knights, fell by the wayside. They became relics; revered, but only ornamentally and as figureheads. They no longer could lay claim to the role of protecting and guiding the destiny of the Digital World. This left them bitter and resentful, and after the death of the Imperialdramon that brought them together and gave them guidance, the Royal Knights soon became obsessed with a single goal: the removal of humans from the Digital World.

Lord Artorius the Alphamon led the Royal Knights as they embarked on a savage and violent crusade to accomplish this end. From their base of operations in Camelot, they attacked Tamers all over the Digital World; deleting their partner Digimon and destroying their Digivices so that they could not return to the Digital World. These attacks drew the attention of the Digital World's ruling body, the Council of Avalon, and they gathered a group of elite warriors to both stand against the Royal Knights and protect the Tamers.

The Peacemakers, as they were called, fought the Royal Knights at every turn, and frustrated Artorius to no end. This culminated in a massive battle, the Siege of Avalon, where the Royal Knights attacked and decimated the capital city before being turned back. After several more inconclusive battles with the Peacemakers, Artorius realized that drastic action would have to be taken if his crusade was to be successful. To that end, he sought out an ancient temple and unsealed a terrible force, the incarnation of primordial chaos: Amatsu-Mikaboshi. Chaosmon.

Artorius hoped to control the Chaosmon and use its nearly-infinite power to finally force all humans from the Digital World. However, Mikaboshi was not content to be controlled. He turned on Artorius and slaughtered both the Royal Knights and several Tamers before forcing the Peacemakers to retreat. Amatsu-Mikaboshi revived his Chaos Generals and set out to return the entire Digital World to the primordial chaos it had arisen from. They were opposed by a gathering of humans and Digimon, but the Chaos Digimons' power proved too great. Mikaboshi then attacked Avalon itself, the seat of power and order in the Digital World, and massacred most of the Council of Avalon.

The Peacemakers persevered and rallied together one last time. They slew the Chaos Generals and finally defeated Amatsu-Mikaboshi after a climactic battle. The Peacemakers returned to their old lives, and at long last, the Digital World was safe.

But nothing lasts forever, and in a world without evil, even virtue can be a sin...

Spoiler:- Now:

=====Now=====
After the Unholy Crusade, after the Chaos, the Digital World has begun to rebuild. A new Council has formed, as the survivors recruit new members to help them govern the wounded world. Things are finally returning to normal.

But deep in the blackest and most twisted shadows, there are whispers of terrible things to come. A sinister prophecy, foretelling the return of sin after a war of virtue, has been fulfilled. The forces of the underworld have begun to move, and horrors not seen or heard from in centuries are beginning to stir.

The demon Mephistopheles has intimate knowledge of the prophecy and is determined to open the gates and travel into the Inferno to unseal the Seven Deadly Sins and unleash the Seven Demon Lords. To do this he must first wage war on heaven to seal the power of the Seven Sacred Virtues and defeat the Seven Superior Angels. Mephistopheles is well on his way to seeing his plans realized.

However, Saint Michael Ha'Yisrael the Archangel has been troubled by visions of death and darkness; he has called together the rest of the Peacemakers, and they set out to investigate the cause of his terrible dreams.

Spoiler:- RPG Plot:

=====RPG Plot=====
You are either one of these Peacemakers (if you were involved in the prequel, Unholy Crusade) or a new addition to the team, brought in by one of the Peacemakers to assist Saint Michael in investigating the darkness and stopping Mephistopheles.

=====Critical Information=====

Spoiler:- The New Council:

The New Council
The Digital World of Devil's Ascent is ruled by a group of Digimon called the "Council." After the destruction of Avalon and the slaughter of their first incarnation by the Mikaboshi, they reorganized and now rule from the realm of Anatolia. Before the massacre by the Chaosmon Amatsu-Mikaboshi, the Council consisted of 8 members. However, as several of them were killed, the surviving members brought in new Digimon to help them govern. The Council as it is now consists of:

The Holy Host
The Holy Host are the angelic Digimon that rule over Paradise, often called "Paradise Eden." The rulers of the Holy Host are the Seven Sacred Angels, who represents the true spiritual and metaphysical power of the Holy Host. As the Seven Demon Lords embody the Seven Deadly Sins, the Seven Sacred Angels embody the Seven Sacred Virtues. They are:

Zadkiel of the Seraphim (Seraphimon): Zadkiel embodies the virtue of Hope.
Jophiel of the Ophanim (Ophanimon): Jophiel embodies the virtue of Love.
Cassiel of the Cherubim (Cherubimon): Cassiel embodies the virtue of Knowledge.
Anael of the Dominim (Dominimon): Anael embodies the virtue of Reliability.
Sachiel of the Virtues (ClavisAngemon): Sachiel embodies the virtue of Friendship.
Ramiel of the Powers (GuardiAngemon): Ramiel embodies the virtue of Courage.
Haniel of the Principalities (MarineAngemon): Haniel embodies the virtue of Sincerity.

There are other high-ranking and important angels that tend to interact more with the mortal world. They are:

Azrael (GuardiAngemon): The black-armored Azrael is known as "Malak al-Maut," the Angel of Death. He is a terrifying power, and is responsible for the Great Flood, the death of the first born, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The Metatron (HolyAngemon): The Metatron is the voice of God and is the spiritual leader of the Holy Host. He is both wise and powerful, and is blessed with the power of prophetic visions.

The Great Archangel Warriors (MagnaAngemon): The trio of Uriel, Gabriel, and Raphael. They are among Heaven's greatest warriors. Individually they are nearly the equal of Saint Michael.

_________________________

Spoiler:- The Seven Demon Lords:

The Seven Demon Lords
These seven demons are the instigators of the great rebellion against Heaven. They were once high-ranking angles, but they rejected the light of the Sacred Virtues and instead embraced the Deadly Sins as the catalysts of their power and became demons. The group consists of:

Lucifer Morningstar (Lucemon): Lucifer is the Lord of Pride.
Satan Aamon (Daemon): Satan is the Lord of Wrath.
Lilith Asmodai (Lilithmon): Lilith is the Lord of Lust.
Barbatos Mammon (Barbamon): Barbatos is the Lord of Greed.
Leviathan Titanus (Leviamon): Leviathan is the Lord of Envy.
Belphegor Baphomet (Belphemon): Belphegor is the Lord of Sloth.
Beelzebub Ba'al (Beelzemon): Beelzebub is the Lord of Gluttony.

_________________________

Spoiler:- Digivolution:

Digivolution:
Permanent Digivolution in this RPG is incredibly difficult to achieve. That is why most instead use a temporary Digivolution (like that seen in the television series) It normally requires immense energy and as such, Digivolution will leave a character very drained. Mode Changing (Burst Mode, Blast Mode, Crimson Mode etc) is treated as Digivolving and fills the same criteria, namely that it requires a lot of energy to achieve. Should you receive a lot of damage, then for the purposes of realism you can regress to a lower form, however I will allow resting time between battles for us all to achieve our main form again before another battle.

DNA Digivolution is incredibly rare in this RP. Without human partners to produce the powerful emotional and psychological connections, the Digimon must rely on external sources of energy that are few and far between to generate the power needed for DNA digivolving. Only in very rare cases can two Digimon DNA digivolve on their own, and they must rely on rare sources of power such as Golden Digi-Eggs to unleash enough energy to permanently merge themselves together. Temporary DNA Digivolution is achievable more easily, but the resulting Digimon is less powerful than one permanently DNA Digivolved.

Biomerge Digivolution can be used by some of the more experienced Tamers to combine with their Digimon partner and form a powerful Mega Level Digimon. Essentially, Biomerging involves the Tamer and Digimon fusing together, with the Tamer held within the resultant Digimon’s body inside a sphere of energy. They are fully conscious and the Biomerge Digimon usually speaks with the voices of both Tamer and Digimon in synch, though one of them can speak without the other. Biomerge Digivolution produces a Digimon slightly more powerful than is usual than its Level, thus making any Biomerge Digimon a formidable ally or opponent.

Demonic Possession is a new variation on Digivolution introduced in this RPG. As we're facing digital demons, we will encounter the possibility that some of these demons will break themselves down into pure demonic data and possess a host (usually derogatorily referred to by demons as "meat suits"). When possessed, a Digimon is completely controlled by the possessing demon, takes on a darker more demonic form (complete with either all-black, all-red, or all-white eyes--depending on the power of the possessing demon), becomes extremely resistant to conventional attacks and weapons, gains extreme resistance to injury, and receives enhanced demonic power. Additionally, the demon gains access to all the memories of its host. Once a demon possesses a Digimon, they lose their own Digimon identity and become only demonic data. While the possessed Digimon is usually completely under the control of the demon, particularly strong-willed individuals can sometimes exert a measure of resistance to the possession and gain a few moments of control, but usually only enough to communicate. Once possessed, only an exorcism can remove the demon from its host and return it to Hell. However, once a demon leaves its host, all injuries the body received take effect and the host can die within minutes.

Demonic powers: the power a demonically-possessed Digimon has is dependent on the demon's rank. Additionally, higher-ranking demons have the power of their rank and the powers of all the ranks below them.
Lesser Black-Eyed Demons--enhanced strength
Greater Black-Eyed Demons--telekinesis
Red-Eyed Demons--emotional manipulation
White-Eyed Demons--immolation

________________________

Spoiler:- Demons and Hell:

Demons and the Inferno/Hell

The Hell of Digimon: Devil's Ascent is modeled after the Inferno of Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy. There are 9 circles of Hell, each one built to punish a certain sin. Hell isn't for the wicked Digimon who die; Hell is a prison built by the Holy Host to seal away the Demon Lords and their armies. The Demon Lords have two separate fighting forces: the Nightmare Soldiers--those Digimon that sold their souls to the demons for power, and the Black (or Unholy) Host--the other angels that rebelled alongside them. While the entirety of the Black Host and most of the Nightmare Soldiers were locked away in the Inferno, some Nightmare Soldiers managed to avoid imprisonment, and they wander the world waiting for someone to call them together.

That doesn't mean that the denizens of the Inferno can't escape. Over the millennia, several have managed to slip out, often invoked by various rituals or spells. Once freed, a demon can begin making deals. The deals usually involve a Digimon trading his/her soul for power, fame, fortune, or--sometimes--aid from the demon. A demon is bound to complete his end of the bargain, after which the Digimon is given 10 years to enjoy the fruits of the deal before the demon comes to collect. Usually the demon comes with a hellhound (either a Cerberumon, Dobermon, or Fangmon) that can travel freely between the mortal Digital World and Hell. These hellhounds are mindless beasts, but are exceedingly strong.

Once in Hell, the Digimon's soul is sentenced to one of the 9 circles, depending on the severity of his/her accumulated sins. There, the Digimon's soul is warped, tortured, and twisted until all traces of humanity and decency are stripped away. The Digimon then becomes a demon, and wants nothing more than to escape. Then the cycle continues.

Mephistopheles's Goals: To call forth the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. And to break the seals on the Devil's Gate, the doorway to Hell. As we will soon learn, there are 600 seals, but only 66 need be broken.

The 66 Seals: While there are 600 seals keeping the Devil's gate shut, only 66 need to be broken. Spoiler:- Seals Broken in Unholy Crusade:

1. the war of virtue (breaks the first seal): The beginning of the Crusade
2. the arrival of the false prophets: The False Digidestined
3. the desecration of the Ancients: The human Hybrids
4. the world standing in the shadow of a Dark God: Kole's Digivolution to Apocalymon
5. the ten lives reaped in anger: Samael's murderous rampage
6. the destruction of Avalon by its heroes: The Siege
7. the hero murders his son in the name of virtue: Lancelot's murder of Galahad
8. the birth and death of a blood dragon in a single day: Guinier's Digivolution to Megidramon and Angra Mainyu's death
9. the unchaining of a killer of gods: The God-Killer's rampage
10. the demons lords do battle on the Earth: The battle between Sha and Samael
11. the shattering of a holy sword: Michael breaks the Seiken GradAlpha
12. the summoning of an archangel's wrath by a demon: Samael calls Michael to alert him to the Royal Knights' location
13. the claiming of the Black Sword: Artorius obtains the blade
14. the sky darkened by the wings of a black dragon: Pyra's dark Digivolution
15. the unbinding of Amatsu-Mikaboshi: Artorius releases the Mikaboshi
16. the fall of the servants of Order: The Royal Knights are destroyed
17. the breaking of the Gate of Destiny: Amatsu-Mikaboshi breaks free of the gate
18. the rise of the servants of Chaos: The Mikaboshi summons the Chaos Lords
19. the slaughter of the Archangel Lords
20. the destruction of the Council

Spoiler:- Seals Broken in Devil's Ascent:

21. The rising of the Witnesses.
22. The defeat of a demon's deal
23. The blinding of the Old Gods
24. The rise of the Red Queen in the Chess Kingdom
25. The spreading of a blight across the land
26. The murder of 66 disciples of God
27. The damnation of a saint
28. The rivers run red with the blood of 666 children
29. The unsealing of Nekron
30. The crown of Conquest shall be worn by a pagan king
31. The branding of hallowed ground with the true names of the devil
32. The binding of the Pantheons
33. The eyes of the moon turn black with murder
34. The baptism of the beast in the blood of an angel
35. The breaking of a Miracle
36. The final betrayal of the Lords of Order
37. The resurrection of Milleniummon
38. The rebirth of the Demon King
39. The awakening of the lesser Lords of Hell
40. The red sword of War takes peace from the earth
41. The rise of Death in the eyes of the innocent
42. the burning of Rome
43. the destruction of the Old Temple
44. the Four Horsemen stand together in the killing fields
45. the silencing of God's Voice
47. the fall of the seven Virtues
48. the arrival of the Digidestined

At this point (unless we agreed otherwise), your characters are in Anatolia listening to Michael's spiel. You can post what they were doing when they got the message to meet him if you wish, but that's entirely up to you.

And yeah, we're brainstorming seals. Once a couple people have posted (namely Hotshot, Foodguy, and Sequel), I'll have Michael reveal what he's deduced and how many he thinks have broken. I think you'll all be pretty surprised by the answer.
==========================================

EDIT: I'll be posting an ever-updating list in the first post here with the various seals we encounter and the ones broken during Unholy Crusade.

Last edited by Kamotz; 3rd September 2010 at 9:12 AM.
Reason: new info

Anywho, I got intramurals - equivalent to a long sportsfest - this whole week, so I'm gonna be a lot more free until the Monday after the next. Ironic, since a few others seem to busier. -.-;

And I'm guessing those are just the seals that they know of, yeah? (And here I thought Duo's Reapermon evolution might have meant something. >.<). In any case, this means there could be more seals they don't know about. Somehow, that prospect is very...discouraging.

Well, Shoon is certainly one of the most...interesting characters I've ever seen.

Glad to know you think so too. I'm not exactly sure what state of mind I was in when he was born, so to speak. Probably a similar one to when Dunk was.

There are stories made from the imagination. There are stories born from experience.
There are stories told because of a need to be filled. There are stories that simply need to be told.This is one of them.

“Maybe there really is a method to his madness…or maybe he’s just plain insane."Chapter 3: Act III is out and posted!

I had considered it for Duo, but with Guinier, Pyra, and Kole's digivolutions already being there I thought it might be overkill. Still, you're free to point it out in character to get Michael thinking

Well, I'm back. Or, rather, my power is. The hurricane hit us worse than I expected. Knocked a tree onto someone's house down the street. But anyways, yeah, looks like I missed quite a bit. I'll try to have a post up tonight.

Okay, just to clarify, we're gonna have the Gigas-Ivy wedding ceremony before things start spiraling out of control. Hotshot and I had discussed it some weeks ago and its pretty critical to his plans. Regardless, it shouldn't take too long, and expect the sky to start falling pretty much right after the "I do's".

Cheerful. In that case, I'll have Vritra ready to spring into action, a wedding isn't her kind of thing... so she'll be glowering somewhere. Like some big, fiery gargoyle on a roof... point is she'll be ready.

Bedivere, Guinier and Caradoc will be there though. Loyalty to your comrades and all, so I guess this is one of very few social events Bedivere would actually pass up charging into the burning battlefield for.

So, what's War up to with the Chess Kingdom? Stirring up war, I presume...

Someone protect the wedding cake! Forget the bride, groom and guests of honour!

Gigas may have made a big mistake inviting Khep and Sam to the party... Oh the chaos to be had. Khep was relatively fine during Thor's, if not blasted drunk, but that was him alone and he got along with the Warriors Three pretty well.

As for War... maybe he's trying to debunk the steriotype and is actually stirring up peace and biscuits in the Chess Kingdom? ...Speaking of which, I still haven't gotten the ones promised from the UC afterparty. ...Oh man, I'm rambling aren't I? I need sleep.

Okay, I'm going to visit family until saturday, so I won't have regular internet there. I might be visiting some family friends and they might have some internet, but I don't wanna commit to anything yet. Either way, we're waiting for Hotshot to post his wedding ceremony. Then you guys can have your reactions/interactions to that. That should take a couple days at least. When I come back I'll get us into the action.

Tundra, if you post before then you can have Galic talk to Michael. I know he's an NPC (Griff reminded me), if I get a chance I'll post their tense conversation, but like I said, internet will be iffy this weekend. If you post first I'll just have Michael react to that.

For the next two weeks, I am not really going to be able to post because I have my Preliminary HSC Exams starting on Monday, and I need to study.

Are you interested in joining a new and upcoming Pokemon RPG? Are you interesting in adventuring through a ruinous Kanjohto, slowly putting itself back together piece by piece? If so, feel free to join Wild Future today! (Unfortunately registration is required to see the forums)

Now we're encountering ghosts!!! Seriously. They're the risen spirits of those killed during the Siege and the battle with the Mikaboshi/Chaos Lords. And they're all demented and crazy. They blame the living for not saving them, and then they kill them. And because they're ghosts, they can't be hurt/killed.

Okay, so what we'll be looking for is the "Mark of the Witnesses", a symbol branded onto each of the witnesses. It's small circle, about the diameter of a cupcake, so you'd have to be close in order to see it. And it has some arrows and squiglies and designs in the circle. The specifics aren't so important. Anyway, keep an eye out for that mark and let Michael know.